Feelings become perceived as vulnerable. The vulnerable feelings need protection. Vulnerable situations can be perceived as “threats” becoming “fixed with automatic responses” in persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Individuals, who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often, describe feeling an increased internal activation. The anger can become “fixed or stuck” as the normal level of arousal can intensify the actual psychological, emotional and physical experience of anger. The arousal often can cause a men and women with PTSD to feel constantly on-edge, hyped-up, or irritable and can cause individuals to be more easily provoked. It is common for traumatized individuals to actually seek out situations that require them to stay alert and defend off actual or potential danger.
Again, individuals often use alcohol and drugs, food, exercise, sex, gambling, and self-harm to reduce and dispel overall internal tension and arousal – “to feel better”. The physical or sexual traumatic event interferers with an individual’s ability to self-regulate emotions, which leads to frequent episodes of labile or out-of-control emotions of anger and rage.
